A movie is a series of pictures (taken with cameras) that are put together and shown on a screen with sound to tell a story. Movies can entertain, sway opinions, expose people to different cultures and viewpoints, or simply give us an escape into another fantastical reality for a short time. They also make money. Some movies are so successful that they become blockbusters, which means they take in huge amounts of money from tickets and DVD sales. Others, such as the independent or art movie, are so unusual that they have a cult following.
The word film is usually used by people who work in the motion picture industry, such as producers and directors, while the term movie is generally used by consumers. Both words refer to the same thing – motion pictures – but film has more of an artistic and pretentious connotation while movie is more commercialized and crass.
A good movie has a variety of genres (types of stories). Dramas are about events in people’s lives, and often have a basic plot where the main characters must ‘overcome an obstacle’ to get what they want. Thrillers use fear to excite the audience (people watching the movie), with music, lighting and special effects (things that can’t be done in real life) adding to the excitement. Romantic comedies or rom-coms are stories about 2 people falling in love. Science fiction movies have a lot of science, and fantasy films include magical things that can’t exist in real life.